Issues
Grand Cherokee Is Investigated for Gas Tank Danger
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said on Tuesday it would grant a consumer group’s request to investigate whether an estimated three million Jeep Grand Cherokees had gas tanks that were too vulnerable to fires after a rear impact.
The petition to investigate the 1993–2004 Jeeps was made last October by the Center for Auto Safety, which says the gas-tank design is defective.
Lawsuit Leads to Debate on Recalled Rental Cars
Two consumer safety groups are asking the Federal Trade Commission to order Enterprise Rent-A-Car to start fixing every vehicle with a safety recall before renting them to consumers. The groups say the request highlights the lack of a requirement that rental companies must fix recalled vehicles before renting them.
The request comes about three months after Enterprise admitted in a California court that its failure to fix a Chrysler PT Cruiser was responsible for the deaths of two California women when it caught fire and crashed.
FTC Rental Car Recall Repair Petition
Immediate Release: August 9, 2010
Two auto safety advocacy groups, joined by the mother of two girls killed in the crash of a defective vehicle knowingly rented to them by Enterprise Rent-A-Car, today petitioned the Federal Trade Commission to take action to stop Enterprise and its owner company from renting out recalled but unrepaired vehicles to customers.
FTC urged to bar Enterprise from renting out recalled autos that need fixing
Two auto safety advocacy groups are asking the Federal Trade Commission to prohibit Enterprise Holdings Inc., the owner of the Enterprise, National and Alamo rental car companies, from renting out recalled vehicles that have not been fixed.
Enterprise’s Handling of Recalled Autos Targeted in Group’s FTC Petition
Enterprise Holdings Inc., the largest U.S. rental-car company, lets autos under federal safety recalls be rented before repairs, consumer advocates said in a petition asking the Federal Trade Commission to bar the practice.
Honda Recalls 384,000 Vehicles Over a Familiar Problem
Honda is recalling an additional 384,000 2003-4 models after a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration investigation into whether two earlier recalls for the same problem covered all the defective vehicles.
The new recall covers some 2003 Accords and Civics as well as some 2003-4 Elements. The problem is that a defect in the shift interlock system could allow the vehicle to be turned off and the key removed without the vehicle’s automatic transmission being in Park. That could allow the vehicle to roll away.
Statement by American Honda Motor Co., Inc., Regarding Ignition Switch Interlock Mechanism Recall: 2003 Accord, Civic, 2003/2004 Element Vehicles
08/09/2010 – TORRANCE, Calif. –
Honda will recall approximately 197,000 Accord and 117,000 Civic vehicles from the 2003 model year and roughly 69,000 Element vehicles from the 2003 and 2004 model years in the U.S. to prevent a malfunction of the ignition interlock feature of these vehicles. Honda has received several complaints about such failures in these vehicles and is aware of a small number of related incidents, including one that resulted in a minor injury.
FTC Enterprise Rental Car Recall Repair Petition
Click here to view the petition
Attachment A – Media
Attachment B – Recall
Attachment C – Matias Declaration
Attachment D – Gieseking Deposition